Seasons/Transcript
Transcript Text reads: The Mysteries of Life with Tim and Moby Moby and Tim stand in a snowy field. Moby packs some snow into a snowman that looks just like him. Tim, dressed in warm clothes, holds a typed letter. TIM: Dear Tim and Moby. Tim reads from a typed letter. TIM: Why do we have seasons? From, Jonathan. Good question. We were wondering why spring can't get here a bit sooner. The scene changes to a warm day. Tim is dressed in a t-shirt and shorts. TIM: Hey, did you do that? MOBY: Beep. TIM: Huh. An image shows a tilted globe. TIM: Uh, ever wonder why globes are made to lean sideways? An animation shows a tilted Earth orbiting around the sun. TIM: The earth orbits around the sun, spinning on its axis. The axis of the spin is tilted in relation to the orbit, by about 23.5 degrees. The earth's tilt is what causes seasons to come and go as our planet makes its way around the sun. Without that tilt, the seasons wouldn't change, and it would be about the same temperature year round wherever you lived. When the earth is here, sunlight strikes the Northern Hemisphere directly. An animation shows the Earth's Northern Hemisphere pointed toward the sun and an arrow shows the path of the sunlight to the Northern Hemisphere. TIM: That makes the days longer and hotter. An image shows a field and trees on a sunny day. TIM: We call that summer. Meanwhile, sunlight is striking the Southern Hemisphere at an angle. An animation shows the Earth's Southern Hemisphere pointed away from the sun and an arrow shows the angle of the sunlight. TIM: The days are short and cold. That's winter. When the Earth is on the other side of the sun, the seasons are reversed. An animation shows the earth on the opposite side of the sun, with the Southern Hemisphere pointed towards the sun. MOBY: Beep. TIM: Right. An animation shows the earth spinning. The Northern Hemisphere, the equator, and the Southern Hemisphere are labeled. TIM: Tropical places lie on the equator: the border of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. An image shows a tropical forest. TIM: The tropics get the full heat of the sun all year round, so their temperatures don't change much. The North and South poles are a different story. An animation shows a spinning globe with circles around the North and South Poles. TIM: There's nothing gradual about the change in season in these places. It's winter, then summer, without a fall or a spring. Summer on the Arctic circle means that it's light outside even while you sleep. An animation shows Tim in bed. It is 11:45 p.m. but there is daylight outside his window. TIM: In the winter, the Arctic circle is dark all day long. An animation shows Tim wearing winter clothes at a bus stop in complete darkness. It is 10:13 a.m. MOBY: Beep. Moby points to February on a calendar. TIM: When do these seasons start? Tim reads the World Almanac. TIM: Well, here's the schedule for the Northern Hemisphere. An image shows a park bench in the spring. The trees have new leaves and daises are blooming on the grass. TIM: Spring starts with the vernal equinox on March 20th or 21st. An image shows the same spot in summer. Trees are in full bloom. TIM: Summer begins with the summer solstice on June 21st. An image shows the same spot in fall. Leaves have turned autumn colors, and some have fallen to the ground. TIM: The beginning of fall is called the autumnal equinox, and it falls on September 22nd or 23rd. An image shows the same spot in winter. The tree's branches are bare and snow covers the entire park. TIM: The winter solstice, the first day of winter, happens on December 21st or 22nd. Moby points to the lower part of the globe. MOBY: Beep. TIM: The Southern Hemisphere begins winter when the Northern Hemisphere starts summer, and so on. The seasons north and south of the equator are always opposite each other. An animation shows this opposite relationship between seasons in the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Moby pushes a button on a machine behind him and the weather changes back to winter. Tim is still wearing shorts and a t-shirt. He is now standing in knee-deep snow. TIM: Aaaah! You are doing this, aren't you? Brrrr. Moby shakes his head no. MOBY: Beep. Category:BrainPOP Transcripts Category:BrainPOP Science Transcripts